The Your Move Rental Tracker found that the average property was let for £861 during April.

This is 0.5% higher than the same stage in 2018, but Your Move said this figure masks a variation between regions.

The West Midlands boasted the strongest rent rises of 4% while prices declined by an average of 2.2% in the East of England.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the average rent was £831

The West Midlands overtook the South West as the fastest growing area this month, Your Move found.

The typical rent in the region increased by 4% in the year to April, reaching an average of £641. This was ahead of the South West, which had growth of 3.7% in the same period to hit £701.

Yorkshire and the Humber (2.5%), the North West (2.3%) and the East Midlands (2.2%) were the other regions which saw rents grow strongly on an annual basis.

At the other end of the scale, prices declined in two of the remaining regions. London was one of those to see a fall. Prices in the capital dropped by 1.1% but it remains the most expensive place to rent in the country, with the typical property let for £1,262 per month.

Martyn Alderton, national lettings director at Your Move, said: “Across England and Wales there are those areas which are seeing rents rise, and those where they are flat or falling.

“It is the areas which have seen periods of strong growth in recent years, such as London and the East of England, which have dropped back slightly.

“Other areas of the country, including the West Midlands, are starting to catch up and are growing at an attractive rate.

“Regardless of the short-term rent fluctuations the property market remains a great place to invest, with landlords also enjoying stable returns compared to last month.”